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Yellowstone
Historic Resource Study The History of the Construction of the Road System in Yellowstone National Park, 1872-1966 |
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Part One: The History of the Construction of the Road System in Yellowstone National Park, 1827-1966 and the History of the Grand Loop and the Entrance Roads |
CHAPTER II:
ENDNOTES
85. Secretary of the Interior, H.M. Teller to Superintendent P.H. Conger, 14 July 1883. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.
86. Kingman did not file any reports with the Chief of Engineers, but a later Army Corps of Engineer officer, Captain Clinton B. Sears did include Kingman's notes on road improvements and construction in his report to the Chief of Engineers. See "Annual Report of Captain Clinton B. Sears, Corps of Engineers, for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1887," in Report of the Secretary of War Being Part of the Messages and Documents Communicated to the Two Houses of Congress in Four Volumes (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1887).
Existing roads in August 1883:
A road from western boundary to the fork of the Fire Hole River about 20 miles long.
A road from the last named point to Mammoth Hot Spring-about 40 miles.
A road from the Mammoth Hot Spring to the mouth of the Gardner River, about 4 miles.
A road from the Mammoth Hot Spring eastward via Baronetts' Bridge towards the Clark's Fork mines, about 50 miles.
A road from the forks of the Fire Hole River to the Upper Geyser Basin, about 10 miles.
A road from the same point to the Falls of the Yellowstone River about 28 miles.
And a branch from this road to the outlet of Yellowstone Lake about 8 miles.
Information regarding the road crews of 1883:
The teams ranged from 12 to 20 men under the supervision of a foreman, and each team was provided with a cook.
Pay scale: Common Laborer — $40 a month; Skilled Laborer — $50-$60 a month; Cook (according to size of party) $45-$50 a month; Foreman (according to their responsibility and knowledge required) — $50-$75 a month
Board was furnished. Daily ration for one man: fresh meat, or: 1-1/2 lbs., bacon or ham; 3/4 lb flour; 1 lb lard; 1/10 lb., potatoes; or 2 lbs onions or canned vegetables; 1 lb coffee roasted; or 2 ozs tea; 2/3 oz beans; or 3 ozs oatmeal or rice; 3 ozs canned fruits; or 1/2 lb dried fruit; 1/4 lb butter; or 3 ozs syrup; 1 gill pickles; or cheese 3 ozs condensed milk; 1/5 can baking powder; 7/100 lb salt; 01/100 lb soap; 4/100 lb candles; 2/100 lb vinegar 1/100 gallon pepper and matches. Portions were based upon the average cost of 80 cents a day for rations.
94. Ibid., 11-12. This route, though heavily timbered and covered in many places with rock and loose boulders, offered no serious obstacles to the construction of a road until the head of the canon was reached. Here for about a thousand feet, the rock walls approached each other and were nearly vertical, and the little stream in the canyon had a fall of 30 or 40 feet. Fortunately, however, the rock was of a columnar structure and there existed a natural bench, partly concealed by the talus, at about the right height, and which, by a little blasting and filling, will make an admirable road bed. 1-2.
96. Road work projects for 1884-1885.
1. Repair and improvement of existing road from Mammoth Hot Springs to boundary of park toward the terminus of the park branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad about 5 miles . . . $5,000.
2. Complete improvements of road from the Mammoth Hot Spring to Fire Hole Basin, 36 miles . . . $25,000.
3. Improvement of road from Fire Hole to Canon and Falls of Yellowstone, 28 miles . . . $2,500.
4. Improvement of road from Fire Hole Basin to upper Geyser, 10 miles, . . . $8,000.
5. Improvements of branch above route to outlet of Yellowstone Lake . . . $7,000.
6. For repairs and improvements of the road from Mammoth Hot Springs to Yancy's, 18 miles . . $1,500.
7. For constructing a new road from Yellowstone Falls via the east trail over Mt. Washburn to Yancy's, 20 miles . . . $25,000.
98. Rufus Hatch to Secretary of the Interior H. M. Teller, 1 December 1883. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.
100. Superintendent D.W. Wear to Secretary of the Interior Teller, 3 December 1885. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.
101. Lt. Dan Kingman to Secretary of Interior Teller, 25 March 1885. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.
102. Lee H. Whittlesey, Yellowstone Place Names, states that, Lt. Dan Kingman, Oscar Swanson, or Ed Lamartine (the road bosses in charge of the project) probably named the canyon when they were building the first stagecoach road through Glen Creek in 1883-1884. The canyon could also have been named by park tour operator G.C. Henderson, who reported on the construction project in 1884:
To avoid the terrible hill on the only possible route from Mammoth Hot Springs to the upper districts of the park, the government has begun a road along the west fork of the Gardner River (Glen Creek) . . . When complete, this new route — the Golden Gate — will present an easy round and one that will be accessible fully two weeks earlier than that over the mountain [present day Snow Pass] up which the road now leads. (Livingston Enterprise, August 6, 1884.) Lee H. Whittlesey, Yellowstone Place Names (Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society Press, 1988).
110. Ibid., Kingman's proposed regulations:
1. That all wagons used for the transportation of freight within the limits of the National Park shall be equipped with tires not less than 3 inches wide, and that such wagons be allowed to carry a net load of less than 3,000 pounds.
2. That for the net load of 3,000 pounds and less than 4,000 pounds, wagons shall be provided with four-inch tires.
3. That for all loads of 4,000 pounds net and upwards, they shall use 5-inch tires.
4. That it be made the duty of the Superintendent and his assistants to strictly enforce the rules.
111. Acting Secretary of Interior, H.S. Muldrow, to Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, 25 May 1886. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.
112. Charles Gibson to Captain Moses Harris, 23 August 1886. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.
114. Report of the Secretary of War Being Part of the Messages and Documents Communicated to the Two Houses of Congress in Four Volumes (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1887), Appendix AAA, "Annual Report of Captain Clinton B. Sears, Corps of Engineers, for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1887," 3138-3139.
The traveled wagon roads in the Park in 1887 were as follows:
1. A road from the town of Gardiner, on the northern border of the Park, to the Upper Geyser Basin, a distance of about 50 miles. The graded portions of this road are in extent as follows: From Gardiner, via Mammoth Hot Springs, to near Swan Lake, about 10 miles. From Willow Park to the Norris Geyser Basin about 10 miles. From Gibbon Meadows to the head of Gibbon Canon [sic] about 6 miles. From the Lower Geyser Basin to the Upper Geyser Basin, 9-3/4 miles. The portion of this road not yet graded is in fair condition and perfectly safe for travel, a considerable amount of labor having been expended upon it yearly for repairs.
2. A road from the Norris Geyser Basin via the Grand Canon [sic] and Falls of the Yellowstone to Lake Outlet, about 27 miles. This road is graded for a distance of about 8 miles from the Norris Basin. The remainder of the road is in fair condition at this date. The portion of the road between the Falls and the lake is not ordinarily in condition for travel before about the middle of July, the altitude being such as to prevent the early melting of the snow.
3. A road diverging from the road to the Lake in Hayden Valley, about 8 miles from the Falls and extending to the Lower Geyser Basin, via Mary's Lake and Nez Perce Creek. The distance from the Falls of the Yellowstone to the Lower Geyser Basin by this route is about 32 miles. The road is ungraded, but in fair condition, being an excellent natural road with the exception of a somewhat precipitous descent from the plateau between the waters of the Madison and Yellowstone, on its western slope. This road from its altitude is seldom open for travel before the middle of July.
4. A road from the Lower Geyser Basin to the western border of the Park about 20 miles. This road extends beyond the Park limits to Beaver Canon [sic] Station, a stage line from that point bringing visitors to the Park at the Lower Geyser Basin. This is a fair mountain road and safe for travel.
5. A road diverging from the main Park road near Mammoth Hot Springs and extending via the canon [sic] of the East Gardner River, Baronett's Bridge, and Soda Creek, to the northeastern corner of the Park, about 55 miles, and to Cooke City, some 5 miles farther on. This road, over which all supplies for the mining camp of Cooke City are freighted, is through a rough and hilly country and throughout the greater portion of its extent is unimproved. Some slight grades have been made where it was absolutely necessary, and a few crude bridges constructed. The road has been chiefly built and kept in repair by private enterprise and is by far the worst road in the Park, being well nigh impassable a large portion of the year. Toll is very properly charged at Baronett's Bridge, as it could not otherwise be kept in repair by private means. The bridge across the Lamar River is in a very dilapidated condition and will probably not last more than a year or two longer. It would seem to be eminently proper that this road, within the Park limits, should be taken in charge by the Government, the Baronett's Bridge claim extinguished, and the road kept in proper and safe condition for travel.
115. Sears Report, 1887, 3140.
1. build a new road from Upper Geyser Basin to mouth of Yellowstone River via the west arm of the Lake
2. improve and complete the rough 14 mile road from Lake Yellowstone along the river to Grand Canyon
3. build a new 20 mile road from Grand Canyon to Yancy's
4. improve and complete an 18 mile road from Yancy's to Mammoth Hot Springs
116. Capt. Moses Harris, Annual Report of the Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park for the Year 1888 (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1888), 7 and 12.
117. Report of the Secretary of War Being Part of The Messages and Documents Communicated to The Houses of Congress and The Beginning of The First Session of The Fiftieth Congress in 4 Volumes, Volume II- in four parts, Part IV (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1889), "Annual Report of Major Charles J. Allen, Corps of Engineers, Officer in Charge, for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1889," 2857-2859.
118. "Annual Report, 1889," 2863. Bridges in the park by 1889:
1. Three spans of 33 feet over Gardner River. No truss.
2. Three spans of 32 feet over Gardner River King post.
3. One span of 28 feet, a coulee. No truss.
4. Trestle of 224 feet. Kingman's Pass. [Golden Gate]
5. One span of 14 feet over West Gardner. No truss.
6. One span of 12 feet over a slough. No truss.
7. Two spans of 40 feet and 20 feet over Gardner River. King and Queen truss.
8. One span of 32 feet over Obsidian Creek. King post.
9. One span of 16 feet over Obsidian Creek. No truss.
10. One span of 32 feet over Obsidian Creek. King post.
11. One span of 34 feet over Gibbon. King post.
12. One span of 20 feet over slough at Norris. No truss.
13. Two spans of 40 feet over Gibbon. Queen post.
14. Trestle 75 feet long over Gibbon River. Queen post.
15. One span of 38 feet over Firehole River. No truss.
16. Trestle of 66 feet over Firehole River.
17. Two spans of 36 feet over Firehole River. No truss.
18. One span of 24 feet over Gibbon River. No truss.
19. One span of 20 feet over Gibbon River. No truss.
20. Trestle 115 feet long near Yellowstone Falls.
21. One span of 40 feet over Cascade Creek. King and Queen post.
Number of culverts built 100
Linear feet of parapets and railings 1,000
120. Captain F. A. Boutelle, Report of the Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1890), 8 and 9.
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Last Updated: 01-Dec-2005